Information Technology Usage, Travel Motivation and Travel Intention: The Mediating Role of Information Searching and Information Sharing in China Outbound Tourism

Abstract

The shift to digital lifestyles after the COVID-19 pandemic has changed consumer behaviour, including tourist behaviour. With information technology, tourists are able to replace physical vacations with virtual tourism at lower financial costs. Industry players need digital technology for marketing destinations, but it is uncertain how usage of information technology by tourism consumers could motivate them to actually travel for vacations. In addressing today’s tourist behaviour, this study evaluates the mediating role of information searching and information sharing on the linkage between information technology usage, travel motivation and travel intention. Using convenience sampling, 305 useable data-sets were collected from outbound tourists in China. Adopting the Stimulus-Organism-Response concept, constructs are measured on 5-point Likert scale instrument. Data analysis using SmartPLS 4.0 involves structural model analysis for hypotheses testing and model fit. The findings show that information searching positively mediates the linkage between information technology usage and travel motivation, which drives travel intention. Information sharing has no significant mediating influence in the linkage between information technology usage and travel motivation. These findings provide pointers for tourism marketers and policymakers on strategizing today’s information technology as a search tool to drive travel motivation and travel intention.

Keywords: Travel Motivation, Travel Behaviour, Information Technology Usage, Information Searching, Information Sharing

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